Your ATTN Please | Saturday, 30 August

August 30, 2025

It’s really not that deep, man.

Seriously. Have you seen how fake-deep everything’s gotten online recently? There’s nothing wrong with being shallow (as long as you’re honest about it), but there’s been a concerning influx in podcasters, self-titled thought leaders and LinkedIn faux-celebs making ankle-deep statements as if they’re axis-shiftingly profound. Get your aqua socks on - we’re about to enter the remarkably unremarkable world of hustlerot.

- Devin Pike, Guest Editor 💜

The most underrated growth play in 2025? Building your CEO’s personal brand.

Nobody buys from a logo. They buy from people they trust.

So if you’re a marketer, your biggest growth lever isn’t another campaign or ad budget increase. It’s making your brand's key players visible online. Because a strong personal brand builds trust faster than any pitch deck.

That's exactly how our founder, Stanley Henry, built a 7-figure business--by putting his personal brand front and centre.

In this workshop, you’ll learn:

✅ Why personal brands beat company brands for reach & credibility
✅ How to turn your leaders into the faces clients trust
✅ The repeatable system behind a 7-figure personal brand

Stop pouring budget into ads people ignore. Start building brands that people believe in.

Wednesday, 3 Sept | 8:30 – 10:00am NZT | $59

WHAT’S HAPPENING IN MARKETING TODAY?

Nothing Phone 3 used fake sample photos, YouTube wants the Oscars & Safer gambling ads are backfiring

Tech brand Nothing has been caught passing off stock images from professional photographers as samples taken by the Phone 3.

Welp, that’s embarrassing. This also isn’t the first time a phone company has been caught using fake photography examples. But apparently, we do not learn from our predecessors’ mistakes. 😊

The photographers behind some of the images anonymously confirmed to The Verge that the company had purchased the licences via the Still stock photos marketplace. Nothing took to X to claim that the stock images were placeholders that had yet to be updated – but then, why are you licencing images that were bever meant for public use? Perplexing. Stupid. Next!

I’m sure the purists will have a whole lot to say about this. But one things for certain, traditional television is in the bin. Nobody is tuning into crusty, dusty networks anymore. Streaming is what the people want, so streaming is what they get.

The audience for the Oscars has declined more than 50% over the last five years. In March, the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences begun the hunt for the Academy Awards’ next TV home, moving away from Walt Disney’s ABC. Since then, Netflix, Amazon and NBC universal have all been hot on the chase to become the host. None of those are surprising in the slightest, YouTube though? A player I didn’t expect to see on the field, but had inquired to buy the rights to the Academy Awards nonetheless. Interesting times we live in!

Safer gambling ads having "backfire effect", GambleAware research finds.

Wow, you’re telling me, triggering addicted gamblers has the opposite effect, and doesn’t help them stop gambling???? In fact – it actually encourages them to gamble more????? You don’t say. We literally know this from the drink driving ads in the 2000s. Why is this news. This is why we need stronger legislation on gambling advertising, the same way we have for alcohol: research found that safer gambling ads actually encouraged viewers to gamble more by reinforcing the idea that gambling is a safe activity.

45% of those seeing one operator’s ad felt the video suggested gambling is harmless fun. Be so for real right now. For such a serious issue that has devastating effects on so many communities and families, you’d think better guardrails would be in place. But instead, we are arguing about male cheerleaders and woke rebrands – I love it here!

Hey, do you like YAP?

If so, why not share it with a friend? The more we grow this thing, the more resources we can put into making it awesome for you. Even if every subscriber invites just 1 person to YAP, we’ll meet our growth goal for 2025. So, you in?

DEEP DIVE

Hustlerot: Why fake-deep career advice should be a crime

There’s a viral clip doing the rounds right now of Real Housewives of Dubai star Sara Al Madani on a podcast called MindValley.

She looks straight into the camera, drops her voice into faux-profundity mode, and says: “Don’t love your job, job your love”.

I beg your finest pardon? That sentence sounds like it escaped from a broken fortune cookie factory. It’s giving “what if we reversed the words, maybe it will sound deep”. Okay, Yoda.

Nonetheless, people are sharing it like she just rewrote the ten commandments (of course they are). Friends, this is what I call hustlerot. The junk food of motivational content. It looks shiny, it tastes like wisdom for half a second, but ultimately it leaves you bloated and regretful because it’s f**king meaningless.

WTF is is hustlerot?

It’s the genre of pseudo-motivational babble that sounds profound, but collapses the second you apply basic logic. It usually belongs on LinkedIn, stuff like:

  • “Don’t chase money, let money chase you”

  • “Work smarter, not harder” (with zero roadmap of what “smarter” actually means)

  • “Wake up before the sun and you’ll be successful” (congratulations, you’re just tired, and 8 hours of sleep is actually important)

It’s philosophy that’s been left out in the sun too long. It’s a TED Talk written by a malfunctioning Magic 8 Ball (no shade to the Magic 8 Ball.)

Why does it go viral?

Because hustlerot is easy, damn it. It’s a 7-second shot of clarity for people who desperately want life to come with subtitles. Real wisdom is messy and complex, nobody shares that on TikTok. The algorithm rewards snackable slogans that make you feel like you’ve just “leveled up” without doing anything. Delicious morsels for those who want all the outcome without any effort.

Plus, influencers love hustlerot because it makes them look sage without requiring any actual knowledge. Say something vague in a podcast mic, clip it for reels, boom: instant guru energy.

Why it’s harmful (and deeply, deeply insufferable)

Because it’s cringe. But it’s also corrosive. It tells you that if you don’t monetise your hobbies, you’re wasting your life. It erases nuance around work, joy, and survival, and replaces it with bumper-sticker theology. It’s the lie that every problem can be solved if you just think differently - which, by the way, is also the tagline of Apple, not Aristotle for crying out loud.

Meanwhile, actual conversations about labour exploitation, creative burnout, and what it means to find meaning in work get ignored. Because those don’t fit neatly into a soundbite.

The punishment

Frankly, hustlerot should be punishable by law. Minimum sentence:

  • Six months of community service writing actual useful career guides

  • A crash course in real philosophy until you can at least explain Plato without using the word “grindset”

  • And if you re-offend? Straight to solitary confinement with nothing but LinkedIn thought-leadership posts to read

How not to fall into the hustlerot trap (especially on LinkedIn)

If you’re worried about accidentally becoming the villain here, relax. Avoiding hustlerot is actually simple. Just don’t post like a broken inspirational poster. Instead of flipping words around until they sound vaguely profound, say something specific and grounded. Tell a story. Share an actual example of what worked (or didn’t) in your job. Be generous with real advice, not riddles. On LinkedIn especially, resist the urge to turn your thoughts into a one-line koan about synergy. People crave texture, not empty calories.

I generally go by this rule of thumb: if your “wisdom” can be printed on a coffee mug at Target, it probably belongs in the hustlerot hall of shame. So next time someone tells you to French kiss the bleeding jaws of capitalism, just smile politely and keep scrolling. You don’t need hustlerot.

Love your life, ignore the junk wisdom, and for the love of God: don’t clock that tea, tea that clock.

FOR THE GROUP CHAT

😂Yap’s funniest home videos: Not the hot dog
❤How wholesome: it’s the little things
😊Soooo satisfying: the precision omg 
🍝What you should make for dinner tonight: Sheet Pan Crunch Wraps

ASK THE EDITOR

I've just started on LinkedIn. What's the best way to build my network? - Perry

Hey Perry!

If I were you, I'd start by connecting with people in your industry. Try to send 10 connection requests every day to begin building up your network. The next thing I'd do is comment on other people's posts. Look for posts that already have other people having conversations about your industry in the comments. When you comment, your response will show up in your network's feeds, so it's a good way to start getting your name out there.

Another advantage of commenting on other people's posts is you get to see what conversations are happening around your industry right now. You can use that information as inspiration for your own posts, which will mean you'll know what you're writing about is relevant right now. The more time you spend interacting with people on the platform, the faster you'll grow your network.

- Charlotte Ellis, Editor ♡

PSST…PASS IT ON

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